Building construction



Sept. 5, 1939. R. M. CALKINS El AL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION iled. Oct. 28, 1956 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 PATENT GFFHCE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Raymond M. Calkins, Deer-field, and James W.

Swank, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 28,

' 10 Claims.

Our invention relates to sheet metal building construction and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts whereby an improved framework 5 and cooperating wall members may be produced.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide an improved form of frame member to be used as a joist, a studding, or a rafter, and to provide improved means for securing wall members to the frame member either by direct connection thereto or by the use of furring strips which in turn are secured directly to the frame member.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide an improved arrangement of this type made up from a single piece of sheet metal rolled or bent into form and employed either with or without reinforcement by'means of spot-welding at intervals therealong or by means of auxiliary fas- 20 tening devices such as bolts in spaced relation along the member.

It is another object of our invention to provide an improved form of panel for use in connection with such frame member whereby an effective connection may be efiected between the panel and the frame member.

It is another object of our invention to improve.

arrangements of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by 30 which we have accomplished our several objects are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which We believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of our improved frame member, the end of the member being shown in cross section;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of a member similar to that shown in Fig. 1 but embodying a slight modification; I

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing a third form of our improved frame member;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the preferred form of our frame member, with a furring strip mounted in position thereon;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken at line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the form of frame device as shown in Fig. 3 but having two wall closure members of sheet metal elfectively mounted thereon; and

Fig. '7 is a cross sectional view through the form of wall closure member shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will 1936, Serial No. 108,015

be seen that it comprises a frame member made up from a sheet of metal bent backwardly upon itself in opposite directions, to provide an intermediate portion IO and side face portions II and I2 at opposite faces of the intermediate portion. 5 The intermediate portion l0 comprises two locking strip portions l3 and I4 formed integrally therewith, each of such locking strip portions being curved gently into channel form. At the outer edge of the locking strip portion l3, the metal is 10 bent into oblique position as shown at l5, and is then turned at right angles to the intermediate portion ID to provide a facing portion It by which the portions H3 and 12 are connected to each other. At the opposite edge of the frame member 15 a similar arrangement is employed comprising an obliquely positioned portion H and a face portion l8 at right angles to the intermediate portion 10 serving as the connection between said intermediate portion l0 and the side portion I i. At the free edge of the side portion II, the metal is turned inwardly at right angles to provide a facing portion i9, is turned into diagonal position at 2B opposite the diagonally disposed portion I5, and is then turned inwardly to provide a looking strip 21 opposite the locking strip l3, the arrangement being such that the locking strips l3 and 2! are adapted normally to have nesting engagement with each other. At the inner edge of the locking strip 21 a. flange 22 is provided standing at right angles to the side face portion II. At the opposite edge of the side portion 12, the metal is turned at right angles to provide a facing portion 23, and is then turned into diagonal position at 26, such diagonal portion 24 being provided at its edge with a locking strip 25 of channel formation nesting with the locking strip portion I 3. A strengthening flange 26 is provided at the inner edge of the locking strip 25.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the construction is the same as that above described except that the locking strips 13 and 2! are spotwelded together at 2'1 at intervals along the frame member, and that the locking strips l4 and 45 25-are likewise spot-welded together at 28 at intervals along the member.

In Fig. 3, the arrangement is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except that a series of bolts 29 extend through registering openings in the'inter- 59 mediate portion 10 and the side portions H and 52 at intervals along the frame member whereby such bolts press the locking strips very firmly together at opposite edges of the member.

In Figs. 4 and 5, we have shown the form of 5 frame member illustrated in Fig. 1 but with a furring strip 30 secured thereon by means of nails 3| at intervals along the frame member and the strip 30, The arrangement is such that when a nail 3| is driven through the furring strip it is directed by the diagonally disposed portions l5 and 20 into position between the locking strips l3 and 2|. The thickness of the metal making up the-frame member is such as to cause the nail 3| to be progressively bent as it passes between the locking strips l3 and 2| so as to prevent the ready removal of the nail from the frame member.

In Figure 6, we have shown the form of frame member as illustrated in Fig. 3 with wall closure members 32 and 33 secured in position thereon. In the arrangement shown, the members 32 and 33 are secured in position by means of flange portions 34 formed on the side edges of the panels, such flanges being bent into channel formation to conform substantially to the formation of the locking strips I3 and 2| with which they engage. The form'of the panel 32 is best shown in Fig. 7. It will be understood that the bolts 29 may be loosened for the insertion of the flange portions 34 of the panels, such bolts serving when tightened to hold the parts firmly in position.

By the use of our improved arrangement in which the frame member is given a substantial ly rectangular double tubular form, a frame member of very great strength is provided which can be produced very cheaply andeasily by a cold rolling process. By the use 'of our preferred forms of arrangement as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

the frame member is kept integral. at all points without openings through the wall of the member at any point so as to be very efiective for excluding moisture so as to cut down the tendency for the metal to rust. The arrangement is such that' the panels as shown in Fig. 7 can be very quickly and easily pressed into position between the locking strips so as to provide an effective gripping engagement of the frame members upon the panels by which the panels are held securely in position.

While we prefer to employ the form and arrangement as illustrated in our drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited thereto except so far as it may be so limited by the claims, it being understood that changes might well be made in the form and arrangement without departing from our invention.

We claim:

l. A frame member made of a sheet of metal into tubular form and comprising two cooperative channeled strip portions formed integrally with the sheet and between which fastening elements may enter transversely at one edge and project to or beyond the other edge, and means for maintaining the strip portions firmly against the fastening elements.

2. A frame member made up from a sheet of lar form and comprising a channel-shaped looking strip forming the edge portion of one face of said tubular member, and a second channelshaped locking strip portion in the-form of an inwardly directed flange at a free edge portion of the sheet and pressed by the sheet into effective interlocking engagement with said first named locking strip.

3. A frame member made up from a sheet of metal bent backwardly upon itself in opposite directions at opposite faces of an intermediate portion and comprising two locking strip portions at each side each of channel formation, two of said locking strip portions being formed integrally with said intermediate portion and the other two locking strip portions being formed integrally withsaid side face portionsrespectively and each pressed by the sheet into effective interlocking engagement with the adjacent locking strip of said intermediate portion.

4. A frame member made up from a sheet of metal bent backwardly upon itself in opposite directions at opposite faces of an intermediate portion and comprising two locking stripportionsat each side each of channel formation, two of said locking strip portions being formed integrally with said intermediate portion and the other two locking strip portions being formed integrally with said side portions respectively and each pressed by the sheet into effective interlocking engagement with the adjacent locking strip of said intermediate. portion, the sheet metal adjacent to the outer edges of the locking strips strip, and a second flange formed with said first named flange at an angle thereto for reinforcing and strengthening the structure.

6. A frame member made up from a sheet of metal bent backwardly upon itself in opposite directions at opposite faces of an intermediate portion and comprising two locking strip portions at each side'each of channel formation, two of said locking strip portions being formed integrally with said intermediate portion and the other two locking strip portions being formed integrally with said side portions respectively and each pressed by the sheet into effective interlocking engagement with the adjacent locking strip of said intermediate portion, and means connecting said side portions and said intermediate po'rtion firmly together at spaced intervals therealong -for resisting strongly any tendency of the locking strips to move away from each other.

7. A tubular frame member made up from sheet metal comprising two side face portions, an intermediate portion extending across the member between said side face portions and formed to provide channel-shaped locking strips adjacent to opposite edges of the member, means for connecting one edge of said intermediate portion with one of said side face portions, means for connecting the opposite edge of said intermediate portion with the other of said side face portions,

locking strips carried by said side face portionssaid parts firmly together for resisting strongly any tendency of the locking strips to move away from each other.

8. In a building construction, the combination of a frame member made up from a sheet of metal bent backwardly upon itself in opposite directions at opposite faces of an intermediate portion and comprising two locking strip portions at each side of the frame member each of channel formation, two of said locking strip portions being formed integrally with said intermediate portion and the other two locking strip portions being formed integrally with said side portions respectively and each pressed by the sheet into effective interlocking engagement with the adjagent locking'strip of said intermediate portion, bolts extending through said side portions and said intermediate portion at spaced intervals therealong serving to connect said parts firmly together for resisting strongly any tendency of the locking strips to move away from each other, a second member on the face of said frame member opposite the edges of said locking strip portions at one face of the frame member, and fastening means carried by said second member and engaged between said locking strip portions adapted by substantial conformation with the shape of the locking strips to hold said second member rigidly in position on the frame member.

9. In a building construction, the combination of a frame member made up from sheet metal comprising two side face portions, an intermediate portion extending across the member between said face portions and formed to provide channel-shaped locking strips adjacent to opposite edges of the member, means for connecting one edge of said intermediate portion with one of said side face portions, means for connecting the opposite edge of said intermediate portion with the other of said side face portions, locking strips carried by said side face portions respectively each pressed into eflective interlocking engagement with one of saidflrst named locking strips, bolts extending through said side face portions and said intermediate portion at spaced intervals therealong serving to connect said parts firmly together for resisting strongly any tendency of the locking-strips to move away from each other, and a wall facing member of sheet metal engaging said frame member and having its edge portion turned at an angle and bent to conform substantially to the shape ofsaid locking strips and adapted by engagement between said locking strips to hold the facing sheet member rigidly in position on the frame member.

10. In a building construction, the combination of a frame member made of a sheet of metal into tubular form and comprising two cooperative nested channeled strip portions formed integrally with the sheet, a wall facing member of sheet metal having an edge portion turned at an angle and of channel formation to conform substantial- 1y to the shape of said strip portions, said edge portion being disposed between and nested with said strip portions. and means for maintaining the strip portions firmly against said edge portion.

RAYMOND M. CALKINS. JAMES W. SWANK. 

